Method for crosslinking beta-cyclodextrin for cholesterol trapping and regeneration thereof

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is the use of crosslinked beta-cyclodextrin as a trap for removing cholesterol. The crosslinked beta-cyclodextrin is prepared by crosslinking beta-cyclodextrin in the presence of a crosslinking agent. Treatment with the crosslinked beta-cyclodextrin results in cholesterol-depleted foods. After application to foods, the crosslinked beta-cyclodextrin which traps cholesterol therein can be readily regenerated with organic solvents. The crosslinked beta-cyclodextrin can be applied to almost all cholesterol-containing foods, such as dairy products, meat products, and egg products, with excellent cholesterol removal rates.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the removal of cholesterol from foodsusing β-cyclodextrin (hereinafter referred to as “β-CD”) as a trap. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to a method for trappingcholesterol from foods in crosslinked β-CD and recycling thecholesterol-trapped β-CD with an organic solvent.

2. Description of the Related Art

A strong positive correlation is reported to exist between bloodcholesterol level and the risk of adult diseases in the circulatorysystem. For this reason, western foods, including milk, dairy products,other animal resourced foods, etc., that are rich in cholesterol haverecently been the object of concern among people.

Most animal resourced foods have cholesterol. Its content is measured tobe 219 mg/100 g of butter, 137 mg/100 g of 36% fat cream, 105 mg/100 gof cheddar cheese, 95 mg/100 g of cream cheese, 87.5 mg/100 g of bluecheese, 122.9 mg/100 g of fetta cheese, 112 mg/100 g of lard, and 1,050mg/100 g of egg yolk.

The only way to prevent diseases resulting from the excessive intake ofcholesterol is to consume low or zero-cholesterol foods. Active researchinto the physical, chemical and/or biological reduction of cholesterolin foods including dairy products has been conducted.

One of the most effective methods for the reduction of cholesterolcontent in dairy products is to use β-CD as an absorbent. This absorbentbinds cholesterol to form a water-insoluble β-CD-cholesterol complexwhich can be readily centrifuged out.

β-CD is one of the circular α-(1,4)-linked oligosaccharides produced bythe catalytic reaction of cyclodextrin-glycosyltransferase, an enzymefound in microorganisms, with starch, and is nontoxic to the body (seeFIG. 1). β-CD has a cavity at the center of its molecular arrangement,which forms an inclusion complex with various compounds includingcholesterol. Also, beta-CD is nontoxic, edible, nonhygroscopic,chemically stable, and easy to separate from the complex. Therefore,β-CD is a suitable material for removing cholesterol from foods.

Beta-CD, although having the advantage of removing cholesterol fromvarious foods at an efficiency of about 90% or higher, suffers from thedisadvantages of being economically unfavorable and causingenvironmental pollution because of the consumption of lots of β-CD dueto its ineffective recovery. To overcome these problems, the recoveryand recycling of β-CD has been studied. Suggested was the use of organicsolvents in recovering and recycling β-CD (see FIG. 2). However, β-CDcan be recovered to some extent when applied to milk, but is difficultto separate from some foods, such as creams.

The use of β-CD in removing cholesterol is disclosed in many patents,for example, Korean Pat. Laid-Open Publication No. 1999-0015191,entitled “method for removing cholesterol from cream”, No. 1999-0015192,entitled “method for cholesterol removal using immobilized cyclodextrinderivatives”, No. 2004-0054319, entitled “method for preparingcholesterol-removed whipping cream”, No. 2003-0078532, entitled “methodfor removing cholesterol from cheese”, and No. 2003-0035341, entitled“cyclodextrin derivative immobilized on solid and preparation thereof”.These techniques, however, have a poor removal rate and are not suitablefor industrial application.

Therefore, there is a need for a method for removing cholesterol fromfoods with a great economical profit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Leading to the present invention, intensive and thorough research intothe economically profitable and industrially applicable removal ofcholesterol from foods, conducted by the present inventors, resulted inthe finding that crosslinked β-CD can remove cholesterol from a varietyof foods at high efficiency and that the crosslinked β-CD-cholesterolcomplex thus formed can be readily recovered using organic solvents. Therecovery of β-CD by use of an organic solvent is simple, economicallyfavorable, and easily industrially applicable.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a methodfor preparing crosslinked β-CD, which can trap cholesterol in itscentral cavity to reduce the level of cholesterol in foods.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method forreducing the cholesterol level of foods at high efficiency at aneconomic profit.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method forreducing the cholesterol level of foods, which is environment-friendly.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a method forpreparing crosslinked beta-cyclodextrin for cholesterol removal,comprising crosslinking beta-cyclodextrin in the presence of acrosslinking agent is provided.

In this method, the crosslinking step comprises: suspendingbeta-cyclodextrin in distilled water; adding the crosslinking agent tothe suspension, followed by adjusting the suspension to pH 10 with analkaline solution, subjecting the beta-cyclodextrin to a crosslinkingreaction at room temperature for 16 hours, and readjusting the reactionto pH 5 with an acidic solution; and filtering off crosslinkedbeta-cyclodextrin, followed by washing with water and drying.

In another aspect of the present invention, a method for removingcholesterol from food, comprising treating the cholesterol-containingfood with beta-cyclodextrin to trap cholesterol in thebeta-cyclodextrin, and separating the beta-cyclodextrin-cholesterolcomplex is provided.

In this method, the treating step is carried out by reacting thecrosslinked beta-cyclodextrin with the cholesterol-containing food at5-50° C. for 1-40 min with stirring at 50-1,600 rpm.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a methodfor regenerating crosslinked beta-cyclodextrin, the crosslinkedbeta-cyclodextrin having cholesterol trapped therein, comprisingcollecting the crosslinked beta-cyclodextrin in an organic layer,separating the organic layer, and evaporating the organic layer to givethe crosslinked beta-cyclodextrin is provided.

In this method, the collecting step is carried out by mixing an organicsolvent with the beta-cyclodextrin at 40-60° C. for 1-3 hours withstirring at 50-150 rpm, and the separating step is carried out bycooling the mixture to room temperature to separate layers andextricating the supernatant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a chemical formula showing the structure of β-CD.

FIG. 2 is a view showing the procedure of regenerating crosslinkedbeta-cyclodextrin.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Crosslinking of β-CD can be achieved using a crosslinking agent, such asphosphorous, oxychloride, sodium trimetaphosphate, formaldehyde, adipicacid, etc. Of them, adipic acid can be added to foods without limitationbecause it is an additive that the U.S. FDA has approved as GRAS(Generally Recognized As Safe). Also, adipic acid has been identified asa usable sour tasting substance and a food preservative in the KoreanFood Additives Code.

In the presence of alkali, adipic acid reacts with two hydroxyl groupsof β-CD. That is, adipic acid forms intra- or intermolecular mono- ordiether linkages with β-CD so as to crosslink β-CD.

As a crosslinking agent for β-CD, phosphoryl chloride or phosphorousoxychloride acts as follows:

In the presence of formaldehyde, β-CD is crosslinked as follows:

Test materials for cholesterol reduction in the present invention arecommercially available milk (3.6% milk fat), cream (36% milk fat) thatwas prepared from raw milk supplied from Binggrae, Co. Ltd., Korea,using a cream separator, lard that was extracted from hog fat by thermaltreatment, and egg yolk that was obtained from purchased eggs.

Other materials include isoamyl alcohol and sulfuric acid for thequantitative analysis of milk fat, cholesterol (99% purity),5α-cholestane, both purchased from Sigma Chemical Co., and β-CD (purity99.1%), obtained from Nihon Shokunin Cako Co. Ltd. (Osaka, Japan) forthe construction of a standard curve, adipic acid (Acros Organics, USA)for β-CD crosslinking, and acetic acid and isopropanol, both 99.00%pure, for the recovery of β-CD.

Milk fat is determined by a Gerber test in which the lipid separated bycentrifugation is measured with a divider.

For GC analysis, 1 g of a sample is mixed with 500 μl of a 1 ml internalstandard (5a-cholestane 1 ml/ml 99.8% ethanol) in a screw-capped tube,followed by sapinification with 5 ml of a 2M ethanolic potassiumhydroxide solution at 60° C. for 30 min with 5 mL of 2M ethanolicpotassium hydroxide solution. After cooling the mixture to roomtemperature, cholesterol is extracted with 5 mL of hexane. This processis repeated four times.

The extract in a pool of the hexane layers is transferred to around-bottomed flask and dried at 40° C. in a vacuum. The concentratethus obtained is dissolved in 1 mL of hexane and is stored in amicrotube. The injection volume of the sample is 2 μl for GC and thequantification of cholesterol can be done by comparing retention timeand peak area between the sample cholesterol and the internal standardcholestane.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a method forpreparing crosslinked β-CD through reaction with a crosslinking agent isprovided.

The crosslinking agent suitable for crosslinking β-CD is selected fromthe group consisting of adipic acid, phosphorous oxychloride, sodiumtrimetaphosphate, and formaldehyde.

The preparation of crosslinked β-CD starts by suspending β-CD indistilled water. To the suspension is added a crosslinking agent,followed by adjusting the pH of the suspension to 10 with an alkalinesolution. At room temperature, β-CD is subjected to crosslinking for10-20 hours and preferably for 16 hours. The resulting reaction isadjusted to a pH value of 5 with an acidic solution. Then, thecrosslinked β-CD is filtered off, washed and dried.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, a methodfor reducing the cholesterol level of foods using the crosslinked β-CDis provided.

In the method, the crosslinked β-CD is used in an amount of 0.5-30 wt %of the weight of the cholesterol-containing food.

After the addition of the crosslinked β-CD, cholesterol is induced to betrapped within the crosslinked β-CD at 5 to 50° C. for 1 to 40 min withagitation at 50 to 1,600 rpm and then the crosslinked β-CD-cholesterolis separated.

Cholesterol-containing foods to which the method can be applied in thepresent invention may be dairy products, meat products, and eggproducts. In detail, milk, cream, butter, ice cream, yogurt, cheese,etc., are exemplary of the dairy products, lard and sausage of the meatproducts, and poultry eggs, egg yolk, and mayonnaise of the yolkproducts.

In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, a method forrecycling the crosslinked β-CD after its application for cholesterolremoval is provided, in which an organic solvent is used to dissolve thecrosslinked β-CD-cholesterol complex therein and the supernatant isseparated and evaporated to recover crosslinked β-CD.

Suitable for the regeneration of β-CD in the present invention is amixture of acetic acid and isopropanol in a volume ratio of 1:9 to 9:1,and more preferably 3:1. Butanol, hexane or ethanol, although able toregenerate β-CD, is inappropriate for use in food.

After trapping cholesterol in the crosslinked β-CD, an organic solventis added and stirred at 50-150 rpm at 40-60° C. for 1-3 hours. Aftercooling to room temperature, the supernatant is separated and evaporatedto recover β-CD.

A better understanding of the present invention may be obtained in lightof the following examples which are set forth to illustrate, but are notto be construed to limit the present invention.

EXAMPLE 1 Preparation of Crosslinked β-CD

A suspension of 100 g of β-CD in 80 mL of distilled water was stirred atroom temperature for 2 hours and added with adipic acid. This suspensionwas adjusted to pH 2 with 1M NaOH and then subjected to a crosslinkingreaction for 16 hours at room temperature with stirring. Subsequently,the pH of the reaction was readjusted to 5.5 with acetic acid.

The crosslinking product was filtered out through a filter paper(Whatman No. 2), washed three times with 150 ml of distilled water,dried at 60° C. for 6 hours, and passed through a 100-mesh sieve toafford crosslinked β-CD.

EXAMPLE 2 Removal of Cholesterol from Milk by Crosslinked β-CD

1) Concentration of Crosslinked β-CD

To determine what amount of crosslinked β-CD is the most effective forreducing cholesterol in milk, crosslinked β-CD was added in amounts of0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5% by weight based on the weight of milk inconsideration of the fact that only 1.85 g of β-CD is dissolved in 100 gof water at room temperature. Tests were done under the conditions ofstirring at 800 rpm at 10° C. for 10 min and centrifuging at 175×g at10° C. for 10 min.

Test results of cholesterol removal rate are given in Table 1, below. Asseen in Table 1, the β-CD crosslinked through adipic acid was measuredto remove cholesterol from milk at a maximal rate of 93.13% when used inan amount of 1% based on the weight of milk, at a minimal rate of 85.05%when used in an amount of 0.5%, and at intermediate rates of 93.02,92.64 and 92.58% when used in amounts of 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5%,respectively. TABLE 1 Cholesterol Removal Rate according to Crosslinkedβ-CD Concentration β-CD(%) Cholesterol Removal Rate(%)¹⁾ 0.5 85.05 1.093.13 1.5 93.02 2.0 92.64 2.5 92.58¹⁾no significance(P < 0.05), Cholesterol Removal Factors; Mixing temp10° C., Stirring speed 800 rpm, Mixing time period 10 min, Milk fat 3.6%

2) Mixing Temperature

Generally, milk is kept at 4° C. or colder during storage anddistribution. To examine the effect of temperature on cholesterolremoval rate, milk was mixed with the β-CD crosslinked through adipicacid at various temperatures from zero to 20° C. and the results aregiven in Table 2, below.

The cholesterol removal rate was measured to increase with temperature:85.14% at 0° C., 85.33% at 5° C., 92.38% at 10° C., 92.56% at 15° C.,and 93.08% at 20° C. Although the highest cholesterol removal rate wasat 20° C., it is believed that the optimal temperature to removecholesterol from milk is 10° C. in consideration of the fact that milkis kept fresh at 4° C. TABLE 2 Effect of Temperature on the Removal ofCholesterol from Milk by Crosslinked β-CD Mixing Temp. (° C.)Cholesterol Removal Rate(%)¹⁾ 0 85.14 5 85.33 10 92.38 15 92.56 20 93.08¹⁾no significance(P < 0.05)Cholesterol Removal Factors; Crosslinked β-CD 1%, Stirring speed 800rpm, Mixing time 10 min, Cream fat content 3.6%

3) Mixing Time Period

The cholesterol removal rates of the crosslinked β-CD were examined inmilk during various mixing time periods and the results are given inTable 3, below.

Cholesterol was removed at a maximum removal rate of 92.48% for a mixingperiod of 5 min. The cholesterol removal rate was measured to be 86.94%after 1 min of mixing, 92.01% after 10 min of mixing, 90.44% after 15min of mixing and 90.42% after 20 min of mixing. Continuation beyond athreshold time had no additional influence on β-CD's ability to trapcholesterol therein and thus did not enhance the removal rate. TABLE 3Effect of Mixing Time Period on Cholesterol Removal of Crosslinked β-CDin Milk Mixing time period (min) Cholesterol Removal Rates(%)¹⁾ 1 86.945 92.48 10 92.01 15 90.44 20 90.42¹⁾no significance(P < 0.05)Cholesterol Removal Factors; Crosslinked β-CD 1%, Stirring speed 800rpm, Mixing temp. 10° C., Cream fat content 3.6%

4) Stirring Speed

The crosslinked β-CD was tested for cholesterol removal rate accordingto stirring speeds and the results are given in Table 4, below.

Cholesterol was removed at a maximum removal rate of 92.05% at astirring speed of 400 rpm. The cholesterol removal rate was measured tobe 91.63% at 600 rpm, 90.81% at 800 rpm, 88.72% at 1,000 rpm, and 87.22%at 1,200 rpm. As for the reduction in cholesterol removal rate with theincrease of stirring speed over 400 rpm, it is assumed that the stablestate of the β-CD-cholesterol complex would be broken into an unstablestate by excessive stirring.

In Example 2, the optimal conditions for the removal of cholesterol frommilk by the β-CD crosslinked through adipic acid were found to be 1% forthe amount of crosslinked β-CD, 10° C. for the mixing temperature, 5 minfor the mixing time period and 400 rpm for the mixing speed, under whichcholesterol was removed at an average rate of 92.39%. TABLE 4 Effect ofStirring Speed on Removal of Cholesterol from Milk by Crosslinked β-CDStirring speed(rpm) Cholesterol Removal Rates(%)¹⁾ 400 92.05 600 91.63800 90.81 1,000 88.72 1,200 87.22¹⁾no significance(P < 0.05), Cholesterol Removal Factors; Crosslinkedβ-CD 1%, Mixing temp. 10° C., Mixing time 10 min, Cream fat content 3.6%

EXAMPLE 3 Removal of Cholesterol from Cream by Crosslinked β-CD

1) Concentration of Crosslinked β-CD

Cholesterol removal rates of the crosslinked β-CD were measuredaccording to its amounts in cream and the results are given in Table 5,below.

When the β-CD crosslinked through adipic acid was used in an amount of10% by weight based on the weight of cream, cholesterol was removed at ahighest rate of 90.72%. The cholesterol removal rate was 81.73% at anamount of 1% of the crosslinked β-CD, 85.32% at an amount of 5%, 90.54%at an amount of 15%, and 89.98% at an amount of 20%. TABLE 5 CholesterolRemoval Rate according to Crosslinked β- CD Concentration β-CD(%)Cholesterol Removal Rates(%)¹⁾ 1 81.73 5 85.32 10 90.72 15 90.54 2089.98¹⁾no significance(P < 0.05), cholesterol removal factors; Mixing temp.40° C., stirring speed 1400 rpm, mixing time 30 min, Cream fat content36%

2) Mixing Temperature

To examine the effect of temperature on cholesterol removal rate, milkwas mixed with the β-CD crosslinked through adipic acid at varioustemperatures from 40 to 60° C. and the results are given in Table 6,below.

The highest cholesterol removal rate was measured to be 91.03% at 40° C.From cream, cholesterol was removed at a rate of 90.56% at 45° C.,88.72% at 50° C., 86.32% at 55° C., and 85.01% at 60° C. Generally,cream is kept at 4° C. or less during storage and distribution. At lowtemperatures, cream increases in viscosity. In fact, the test isdifficult to conduct at a temperature below 40° C. Therefore, theoptimal temperature at which β-CD can remove cholesterol from cream isthought to be 40° C. It is assumed that the decrease in cholesterolremoval rate with an increase in the mixing temperature is attributed tothe fact that lipid is separated from cream at high temperatures andexists as an upper layer which has less opportunity to contact β-CD.TABLE 6 Effect of Mixing Temperature on Removal of Cholesterol fromCream by Crosslinked β-CD Mixing temp.(° C.) Cholesterol Removal Rates(%)¹⁾ 40 91.03 45 90.56 50 88.72 55 86.32 60 85.01¹⁾no significance(P < 0.05), Cholesterol Removal Factors; crosslinkedβ-CD 10%, stirring speed 1,400 rpm, mixing time 30 min, Cream fatcontent 3.6%

3) Mixing Time Period

The cholesterol removal rates of the crosslinked β-CD were examined incream for various mixing time periods and the results are given in Table7, below.

Cholesterol was removed at a maximum removal rate of 91.20% for a mixingperiod of 30 min. The cholesterol removal rate was measured to be 84.27%after 10 min of mixing, 85.05% after 20 min of mixing, 90.98% after 40min of mixing and 90.64% after 50 min of mixing. Time elongation over athreshold level had no additional influence on β-CD's ability to trapcholesterol therein and thus did not enhance the removal rate. TABLE 7Effect of Mixing Time Period on Cholesterol Removal of Crosslinked β-CDin Cream Mixing time(min.) Cholesterol Removal Rates(%)¹⁾ 10 84.27 2085.05 30 91.20 40 90.98 50 90.64¹⁾no significance(P < 0.05), Cholesterol removal factors; crosslinkedβ-CD 10%, stirring speed 1,400 rpm, Mixing temp. 40° C., Cream fatcontent 3.6%

4) Stirring Speed

The crosslinked β-CD was tested for cholesterol removal rate accordingto stirring speeds and the results are given in Table 8, below.

Cholesterol was removed at a maximum removal rate of 92.74% at astirring speed of 1,400 rpm. The cholesterol removal rate was measuredto be 85.32% at 800 rpm, 87.49% at 1,000 rpm, 90.91% at 1,200 rpm, and88.82% at 1,600 rpm. The cholesterol removal rate of crosslinked β-CD incream increased with the increase in stirring speed. Also, it is assumedthat a stirring speed of 1,600 rpm or higher causes lipids to separatefrom cream and exist as an upper layer, which has a little opportunityto contact β-CD. TABLE 8 Effect of Stirring Speed on Removal ofCholesterol from Cream by Crosslinked β-CD Stirring speed(rpm)Cholesterol Removal Rates(%)¹⁾ 800 85.32 1,000 87.49 1,200 90.91 1,40092.74 1,600 88.82¹⁾no significance(P < 0.05), Cholesterol removal factors; crosslinkedβ-CD 10%, Mixing temp. 40° C., mixing time 30 min, Cream fat content3.6%

In Example 3, the optimal conditions for the removal of cholesterol fromcream by the β-CD crosslinked through adipic acid were found to be 10%for the amount of the crosslinked β-CD, 40° C. for the mixingtemperature, 30 min for the mixing time period and 1,400 rpm for themixing speed, under which cholesterol was removed at an average rate of91.42%.

EXAMPLE 4 Removal of Cholesterol from Lard by Crosslinked β-CD

1) Concentration of Crosslinked β-CD

To determine what amount of crosslinked β-CD is the most effective forreducing cholesterol in lard, crosslinked β-CD was added in amounts of1, 3, 5, 7 and 8% by weight based on the weight of lard. Tests were doneunder conditions of stirring at 150 rpm at 30° C. for 1 hr andcentrifuging at 240×g at 27° C. for 15 min.

Test results of cholesterol removal rate are given in Table 9, below. Asseen in Table 9, the β-CD crosslinked through adipic acid was measuredto remove cholesterol from lard at a maximal rate of 93.02% when used inan amount of 5% by weight based on the weight of lard, at a minimal rateof 64.05% when used in an amount of 1%, and at intermediate rates of85.13, 92.92 and 92.58% when used in amounts of 3, 7 and 9%,respectively. TABLE 9 Cholesterol Removal Rate according to Crosslinkedβ- CD Concentration in Lard β-CD(%) Cholesterol Removal Rates(%)¹⁾ 164.05 3 85.13 5 93.02 7 92.92 19 92.58¹⁾no significance(P < 0.05), cholesterol removal factors; Mixing temp.30° C., stirring speed 150 rpm, mixing time 1 hr, Lard 27%

2) Mixing Temperature

Lard is quickly solidified at temperatures lower than 10° C. Mixingtests were done at various temperatures higher than 10° C. in order toprevent quality degradation while keeping lard in a liquid phase. Toexamine the effect of temperature on cholesterol removal rate, milk wasmixed with the β-CD crosslinked through adipic acid at varioustemperatures from 10 to 50° C., and the results are given in Table 10,below.

The highest cholesterol removal rate was measured to be 92.38% at 30° C.From cream, cholesterol was removed at a rate of 90.11% at 10° C.,90.322% at 20° C., 92.31% at 40° C., and 92.08% at 60° C. TABLE 10Effect of Temperature on the Removal of Cholesterol from Lard byCrosslinked β-CD Mixing temp.(° C.) Cholesterol Removal Rates(%)¹⁾ 1090.11 20 90.32 30 92.38 40 92.31 50 92.08¹⁾no significance(P < 0.05), cholesterol removal factors; crosslinkedβ-CD 5%, stirring speed 150 rpm, mixing time 1 hr, Lard 27%

3) Mixing Time Period

The cholesterol removal rates of the crosslinked β-CD were examined inlard for various mixing time periods and the results are given in Table11, below.

Cholesterol was removed at a maximum removal rate of 92.01% for a mixingperiod of 1 hr. The cholesterol removal rate was measured to be 87.14%after 0.5 hr of mixing, 91.47% after 1.5 hr of mixing, and 91.48% after2.0 hr of mixing. Time elongation over a threshold level had noadditional influence on β-CD's ability to trap cholesterol therein whencompared to other conditions and thus did not enhance the removal rate.TABLE 11 Effect of Mixing Time Period on Cholesterol Removal ofCrosslinked β-CD in Lard Mixing time (hr) Cholesterol Removal Rates(%)¹⁾ 0.5 87.14 1.0 92.01 1.5 91.47 2.0 91.47¹⁾no significance (P < 0.05), Cholesterol removal factors; crosslinkedβ-CD 5%, stirring speed 150 rpm, Mixing temp. 30° C., Lard 27%

4) Stirring Speed

The crosslinked β-CD was tested for cholesterol removal rate in lardaccording to stirring speeds and the results are given in Table 12,below.

Cholesterol was removed at a highest removal rate of 93.11% at astirring speed of 150 rpm. The cholesterol removal rate was measured tobe 89.05% at 50 rpm, 90.48% at 100 rpm, 93.00% at 200 rpm, and 92.85% at250 rpm. As for the reduction in cholesterol removal rate with theincrease of stirring speed over 150 rpm, it is assumed that the stablestate of β-CD-cholesterol complex would be broken into an unstable stateby excessive stirring.

In Example 4, the optimal conditions for the removal of cholesterol fromlard by the β-CD crosslinked through adipic acid were found to be 5% forthe amount of the crosslinked β-CD, 30° C. for the mixing temperature, 1hr for the mixing time period and 150 rpm for the mixing speed, underwhich cholesterol was removed at an average rate of 92.63%. TABLE 12Effect of Stirring Speed on Removal of Cholesterol from Lard byCrosslinked β-CD Stirring speed (rpm) Cholesterol Removal Rates (%)¹⁾ 5089.05 100 90.48 150 93.11 200 93.00 250 92.85¹⁾no significance (P < 0.05), Cholesterol Removal Factors; Crosslinkedβ-CD 5%, Mixing temp. 30° C., Mixing time 1 hr, Lard 27%

EXAMPLE 5 Removal of Cholesterol from Egg Yolk by Crosslinked β-CD

1) Concentration of Crosslinked β-CD

To determine what amount of crosslinked β-CD is the most effective forreducing cholesterol amounts in egg yolk, crosslinked β-CD was added inamounts of 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30% by weight based on the weight of eggyolk in consideration of its excessive cholesterol content. Tests weredone under the conditions of stirring at 800 rpm at 40° C. for 30 minand centrifuging at 520×g at 20° C. for 10 min. Test results ofcholesterol removal rate are given in Table 13, below.

As seen in Table 13, the β-CD crosslinked through adipic acid wasmeasured to remove cholesterol from milk at a maximal rate of 95.75%when used in an amount of 25% by weight based on the weight of egg yolk,at a minimal rate of 78.53% when used in an amount of 10%, and at midrates of 82.73, 93.28 and 93.68% when used in amounts of 15, 20 and 30%,respectively. When economic profitability was considered, an optimalamount was 20%. TABLE 13 Cholesterol Removal Rate according toCrosslinked β- CD Concentration in Egg Yolk β-CD (%) Cholesterol RemovalRates (%)¹⁾ 10 78.53 15 82.73 20 93.28 25 95.75 30 93.68¹⁾no significance (P < 0.05), Cholesterol Removal Factors; Mixing temp.40° C., Stirring speed 800 rpm, Mixing time 30 min

2) Mixing Temperature

To examine the effect of temperature on cholesterol removal rate, eggyolk was mixed with the β-CD at various temperatures and the results aregiven in Table 14, below.

From egg yolk, cholesterol was removed at a rate of 82.69% at 30° C.,87.99% at 35° C., 90.05% at 40° C., 88.07% at 45° C., and 88.15% at 50°C. Having the highest cholesterol removal rate, 40° C. was determined tobe optimal. TABLE 14 Effect of Temperature on the Removal of CholesterolYolk by Crosslinked β-CD Mixing temp. (° C.) Cholesterol Removal Rates(%)¹⁾ 30 82.69 35 87.99 40 90.05 45 88.07 50 88.15¹⁾no significance (P < 0.05) Cholesterol removal factors; Crosslinkedβ-CD 20%, Stirring speed 800 rpm, Mixing time 30 min

3) Mixing Time Period

The cholesterol removal rates of the crosslinked β-CD were examined inegg yolk for various mixing time periods and the results are given inTable 15, below.

Cholesterol was removed at a highest removal rate of 91.49% for a mixingperiod of 30 min. The cholesterol removal rate was measured to be 84.54%after 10 min of mixing, 88.07% after 20 min of mixing, 91.39% after 40min of mixing, and 78.92% after 50 min of mixing. Therefore, 30 min isdetermined to be optimal for removing cholesterol from egg yolk. TABLE15 Effect of Mixing Time Period on Cholesterol Removal of Crosslinkedβ-CD in Egg Yolk Mixing time (min.) Cholesterol Removal Rates (%)¹⁾ 1084.54 20 88.07 30 91.49 40 91.30 50 78.92¹⁾no significance (P < 0.05) Cholesterol removal factors; Crosslinkedβ-CD 20%, Stirring speed 800 rpm, Mixing temp. 40° C.

4) Stirring Speed

The crosslinked β-CD was tested for cholesterol removal rate in egg yolkaccording to stirring speeds and the results are given in Table 16,below.

Cholesterol was removed at a highest removal rate of 91.64% at astirring speed of 800 rpm. The cholesterol removal rate was measured tobe 85.10% at 400 rpm, 90.50% at 600 rpm, 88.59% at 1,000 rpm, and 75.89%at 1,200 rpm. TABLE 16 Effect of Stirring Speed on Removal ofCholesterol from Egg Yolk by Crosslinked β-CD Stirring speed (rpm)Cholesterol Removal Rates (%)¹⁾ 400 85.10 600 90.50 800 91.64 1,00088.59 1,200 75.89¹⁾no significance (P < 0.05), Cholesterol Removal Factors; Crosslinkedβ-CD 20%, Mixing temp. 40° C., Mixing time 30 min

5) Dilution Factor

The cholesterol removal rates of the crosslinked β-CD were examined invarious dilutions of egg yolk in distilled water and the results aregiven in Table 17, below.

Cholesterol was removed at a highest removal rate of 94.55% when eggyolk was diluted in an equal volume of distilled water. The cholesterolremoval rate was measured to be. 76.52% in a mixture of 1:0.5 of eggyolk to distilled water, 93.24% in a mixture of 1:1.5 of egg yolk todistilled water, 93.53% in a mixture of 1:2 of egg yolk to distilledwater, and 84.61% in a mixture of 1:3 of egg yolk to distilled water.TABLE 17 Removal of Cholesterol from Egg Yolk by Crosslinked β-CDAccording to Dilution Factor Egg Yolk:Dilution Water Cholesterol RemovalRates (%)¹⁾   1:0.5 76.52 1:1 94.55   1:1.5 93.24 1:2 93.53 1:3 84.61¹⁾no significance (P < 0.05) Cholesterol Removal Factors; crosslinkedβ-CD 20%, Mixing temp. 40° C., mixing time 30 min

6) Centrifugation Speed

The cholesterol removal rates of crosslinked β-CD in egg yolk wereexamined at various centrifugation speeds and the results are given inTable 18, below. When centrifuging egg yolk at 460×g, crosslinked β-CDshowed a highest cholesterol removal rate of 90.92%. The cholesterolremoval rates were measured to be 89.60% at 400×g, 89.30% at 520×g,89.27% at 580×g, and 7.88% at 640×g. 460×g is optimal for removingcholesterol from egg yolk.

In Example 5, the optimal conditions for the removal of cholesterol fromegg yolk by the β-CD crosslinked through adipic acid were found to be20% for the amount of the crosslinked β-CD, 1:1 for the dilution factorin distilled water, 40° C. for the mixing temperature, 30 min for themixing time period, 800 rpm for the mixing speed, and 460×g for thecentrifugation speed, under which cholesterol was removed at an averagerate of 92.70%. TABLE 18 Removal of Cholesterol from Egg Yolk byCrosslinked β-CD Centrifugation speed (xg) Cholesterol Removal Rates(%)¹⁾ 400 89.60 460 90.92 520 89.30 580 89.27 640 87.88¹⁾no significance (P < 0.05), Cholesterol Removal Factors; Crosslinkedβ-CD 20%, Mixing temp. 40° C., Mixing time 30 min

EXAMPLE 6 Recovery and Recycling of Crosslinked β-CD

To examine the recycling efficiency of crosslinked β-CD in milk andcream, β-CD-cholesterol complexes were recovered, mixed in a volumeratio of 6:1 with an organic solvent mixture (aceticacid:isopropanol=3:1), and treated for 10 min in an ultrasonic cleaner.While being stirred for 2 hours at 50° C. and 100 rpm, samples werewithdrawn every 5 min and allowed to stand for 5 min.

The samples were cooled at room temperature and centrifuged at 630×g for5 min to precipitate β-CD, followed by drying the precipitate at 50° C.for 6 hours in a dry oven to recover β-CD.

β-CD regenerated with organic solvents was tested for recyclingefficiency in milk and the results are given in Table 19, below. Afterthe first round of regeneration, the recycling efficiency of crosslinkedβ-CD was measured to be 100% or higher. Even after the fifth round ofregeneration, the regenerated β-CD also showed a recycling efficiency of100% or higher. Until the fifth round of regeneration, the regeneratedβ-CD was almost perfectly recycled. The recycling efficiency of theregenerated β-CD was 90.94% after the ninth round of regeneration and88.13% after the tenth round of regeneration, with 97.30% on average inmilk. TABLE 19 Cholesterol Removal of Regenerated Crosslinked β-CD fromMilk Regeneration Recycling Cholesterol Removal Rounds Efficiency (%)Rates (%)¹⁾  1^(st) 100.13 92.51  2^(nd) 99.92 92.32  3^(rd) 99.72 92.13 4^(th) 99.81 92.21  5^(th) 100.03 92.42  6^(th) 99.39 91.83  7^(th)98.04 90.58  8^(th) 96.88 89.51  9^(th) 90.94 84.02 10^(th) 88.13 81.42Avg. 97.30 89.90¹⁾no significance (P < 0.05).Regeneration Conditions; Organic solvent (Acetic acid:Isopropanol =3:1):β-CD = 6:1, Centrifugation speed 1,500 rpm, Centrifugation tim 5min, Drying 6 hr, Fat content 3.6%

EXAMPLE 7 Removal of Cholesterol from Cream by Regenerated Crosslinkedβ-CD

Crosslinked β-CD regenerated as in Example 5 was applied to cream andthe results are given in Table 20, below.

After the first round of regeneration, the recycling efficiency ofcrosslinked β-CD was measured to be 100% or higher. Also, after thethird round of regeneration, the regenerated β-CD also showed arecycling efficiency of 100.02%. Thus, until the third round ofregeneration, the regenerated β-CD was almost perfectly recycled. Therecycling efficiency of the regenerated β-CD was 90.27% after the tenthround of regeneration, with as high as 97.82% on average in cream. TABLE20 Cholesterol Removal of Crosslinked β-CD Regenerated from CreamRegeneration Recycling Cholesterol Round Efficiency (%) Removal Rates(%)¹⁾  1^(st) 100.03 91.45  2^(nd) 99.96 91.38  3^(rd) 100.02 91.44 4^(th) 98.94 90.45  5^(th) 98.91 90.42  6^(th) 99.19 90.68  7^(th)97.79 89.40  8^(th) 97.57 89.20  9^(th) 94.55 86.44 10^(th) 90.27 83.40Avg. 97.82 89.43¹⁾no significance (P < 0.05) Regeneration Conditions; Organic solvent(Acetic acid:Isopropanol = 3:1):β-CD = 6:1, Centrifugation speed 1,500rpm, Centrifugation time 5 min, Drying 6 hr, Fat Content 3.6%

EXAMPLE 8 Yogurt

For the application of crosslinked β-CD to yogurt, crosslinked β-CD wasadded in an amount of 1% to milk, followed by stirring (10° C., 5 min,400 rpm) and centrifugation (25° C., 10 min, 140×g). The milk washomogenized under a pressure of 1,000psi at 50° C., and added withnonfat milk in an amount of 3.7% and with a starter culture in an amountof 0.02% at 40° C. The milk mixture was fermented at 43° C. for 6 hoursin an incubator, stabilized at 10° C. for a day, and stored at 4° C.After being withdrawn, 1 g of the fermented milk was quantitativelyanalyzed using gas chromatography, and cholesterol was found to beremoved therefrom at a rate of 91.38%.

EXAMPLE 9 Whipping Cream

From raw milk pasteurized at 72° C. for 15 min, cream was separated at55° C., and standardized to cream with a lipid content of 36%. The creamwas incubated overnight at 5° C., to which crosslinked β-CD was added inan amount of 10%, followed by stirring (40° C., 30 min, 1400 rpm) andcentrifugation (25° C., 10 min, 140×g). Treatment with an emulsifier(α-cellulose 0.2%, avicell 0.2%, sodium alginate 0.2%, sugar ester 0.1%,sucrose 0.3%) was followed by homogenization at 60° C. under a pressureof 100 psi. The homogenized cream was cooled to 4° C. and ripened for 24hours. Using EGS Type 06(E3290 Model 296, Germany), the cream wasemulsified. Gas chromatography with 1 g of the cream showed the removalof cholesterol at a rate of 88.94%.

EXAMPLE 10 Butter

Crosslinked β-CD was added in an amount of 10% to cream with a lipidcontent of 36%, which was then stirred (40° C., 30 min, 1400 rpm).Centrifugation (25° C., 10 min, 140×g) was conducted to removecholesterol and crosslinked β-CD from the cream. After incubation forone day, the cream was churned at 8-10° C. at a constant speed. Whenbutter particles started to form, the churn was rotated for 10 turns atlower speed and then the resulting butter milk was egested. The churnwas then washed at low speeds with cooling water as much as the egestedbutter milk. A pool of butter particles was mashed to completely removewater therefrom and salt was added in an amount of 1% to the butter.After being shaped in a mold, the butter was vaccum packed and stored at−20° C. Gas chromatographic analysis with 1 g of the butter showedcholesterol removal at a rate of 91.10%.

EXAMPLE 11 Cheddar Cheese

From raw milk pasteurized at 72° C. for 15 min, cream was separated at55° C., and standardized to a fat content of 36%. Crosslinked β-CD wasadded in an amount of 10% times the amount of the cream to removecholesterol, followed by centrifugation (25° C., 10 min, 140×g). Thecholesterol-depleted cream was mixed with nonfat milk, homogenized undera pressure of 1,000 psi, uniformly mixed at 32° C. with a starterculture (0.004%), and allowed to stand for 30 min. The addition of 10%CaCl2 (0.03%) and rennet (0.19%) was followed by stagnation for 45 min.When appropriately formed, curds were cut and slowly stirred for 15 minand then heated at regular intervals to 38° C. for 30 min. When reachingan acidity of 0.15-0.17%, whey was drained. After curds were piled alongthe inner side of a cheese vat, a cheddaring process was repeated at 15min intervals until the acidity reached 0.5%. After completion of thecheddaring process, the curds were milled, followed by the addition ofsalt in an amount of 2.0% thereto. The cheese curds were hoopedovernight under a pressure of 2.5 kg/cm². The resulting cheese blockswere cut into predetermined sizes, vacuum packed, and ripened at 7° C.

Gas chromatography with 1 g of the cheddar cheese showed the removal ofcholesterol at a rate of 88.24%.

EXAMPLE 12 Mozzarella Cheese

From the 3.6% fat raw milk pasteurized at 72° C. for 15 min, cream wasseparated at 55° C., and standardized to a fat content of 36%.Crosslinked β-CD was added in an amount of 10% times the amount of thecream to remove cholesterol, followed by stirring (40° C., 30 min, 1,400rpm) and centrifugation (25° C., 10 min, 140×g). The P -CD-treated creamwas mixed with nonfat milk, homogenized under a pressure of 70 kg/cm²,uniformly mixed at 20° C. with 0.004% of a starter culture and 0.03% of10% CaCl₂, and allowed to stand for 30 min. The addition of 0.019% ofrennet was followed by stagnation for 30 min to form curds which werethen cut using a curd knife and allowed to stand for 15 min. The curdmass was heated at 45° C. for 40 min. When reaching an acidity of0.18-0.19%, whey was drained. Whenever whey acidity became 0.23%, thecheese curds were washed with the same amount of water, warmed to 45°C., as the amount of the whey drained. To a whey acidity of 0.5%, thecurds were turned over at 15 min intervals, followed by heating to 75°C. The curds were strung for about 10 min and cooled to 4° C. for 2hours. After being soaked for 2 hours in a 23% saline solution, the curdmass was vacuum packed and stored at 4° C.

Gas chromatography with 1 g of the mozzarella cheese showed the removalof cholesterol at a rate of 86.98%.

EXAMPLE 13 Cream Cheese

Raw milk was pasteurized at 72° C. for 15 sec and cream was separatedtherefrom at 55° C. The cream was standardized to a fat content of 36%and mixed with 10% of crosslinked β-CD with stirring (40° C., 30 min,1400 rpm), followed by centrifugation (25° C., 10 min, 140×g). Thiscream was again standardized, to a fat content of 11%, and homogenizedat 50° C. under a pressure of 680 psi. After cooling to 30° C., thecream was mixed with 0.05% of a starter culture and allowed to stand for30 min. The addition of 0.005% of rennet and 0.03% of CaCl₂ was followedby stagnation for 30 min. The resulting curd was cut using a cuttingknife, and incubated at 30° C. for 6 hours until the acidity of wheyreached pH 4.7. Following thermal treatment at 45° C. for 20 min, wheywas drained, and the curds were turned over 1 and 2 hours after thedrainage. Incubation was conducted at 28° C. for 4 hours and then at 20°C. overnight. 1% of salt was added before storage at 4° C.

Gas chromatography with 1 g of the cream cheese showed the removal ofcholesterol at a rate of 91.36%.

EXAMPLE 14 Blue Cheese

Raw milk was pasteurized at 72° C. for 15 sec and cream was separated at55° C. therefrom. The cream was standardized to a fat content of 36% andmixed with 10% of crosslinked β-CD with stirring (40° C., 30 min, 1400rpm), followed by centrifugation (25° C., 10 min, 140×g). Again, thiscream was homogenized primarily under a pressure of 500 psi and thensecondarily under a pressure of 1,000 psi. The cream was mixed withnonfat milk and 2% of a starter culture, and allowed to stand for 1hour. The addition of 0.0154% of rennet was followed by stagnation for30 min. Using a curd knife, the resulting curd was cut to predeterminedsizes. They were heated at 30° C. until the acidity of whey increased to0.03%. During heating, the curds were stirred every five min, and heatedto 33° C. just before the drainage of whey. 2% of salt and 0.061% ofPenicillium roqueforti were added to the curds which were then turnedover at 15 min intervals for 2 hours. After overnight incubation, thecurds were salted four or more times for 5 days. 6 days afterincubation, the cheese was wrapped with cryovac, punctured in a diameterof 0.3 cm thereon using a needle, and ripened. At a suitable ripeningtime, the cheese was rewrapped with aluminum foil and stored at 2.2° C.

Gas chromatography with 1 g of the blue cheese showed the removal ofcholesterol in a rate of 89.26%.

EXAMPLE 15 Fetta Cheese

Raw milk was pasteurized at 72° C. for 15 sec and cream was separatedtherefrom at 55° C. The cream was standardized, to a fat content of 36%,and mixed with 10% of crosslinked β-CD with stirring (40° C., 30 min,1400 rpm), followed by centrifugation (25° C., 10 min, 140×g). Thiscream was again standardized, to a fat content of 5%, and homogenizedunder a pressure of 500 psi. After cooling to 32° C., the cream wasmixed with 0.02% of a starter culture. One hour later, the addition of0.02% of rennet was followed by stagnation for 30 min. The resultingcurd was cut using a cutting knife, allowed to stand for 20 min, andstirred well for 20 min. After incubation to pH4.6, the curd wassqueezed in a vessel for 20 hours. The curd was cut into predeterminedsizes, soaked in a 23% saline solution, and sprinkled with rough saltparticles in an amount of 14% before ripening for 2-3 months.

Gas chromatography with 1 g of the fetta cheese showed the removal ofcholesterol at a rate of 90.86%.

EXAMPLE 16 Ice Cream

Cream with a fat content of 26% was mixed with 10% of crosslinked β-CDwith stirring (40° C., 30 min, 1400 rpm), followed by centrifugation(25° C., 10 min, 140×g). In a mix tank maintained at 50° C., the creamwas mixed with nonfat milk powder, sugar, a stabilizer (carboxymethylcellulose), and water. The mixture was pasteurized at 72° C. for 15 minand homogenized at 60° C. in two stages (1^(st); 175kg/cm², 2^(nd);35kg/cm²), followed by ripening at 4° C. for 24 hours. In an ice creamfreezer, the ice cream was maintained at −3.8° C. for 7 min, packed at−20° C., and set at −26° C. for 2 hours before storage at −20° C. for acouple of weeks.

Gas chromatography with 1 g of the ice cream showed the removal ofcholesterol at a rate of 88.46%.

EXAMPLE 16 Sausage

Lard was used as a material for sausages. 100 g of lard was mixed with5% of crosslinked β-CD and with an equal amount of water. After stirringat 27° C. at 150 rpm for 1 hour, centrifugation was conducted at 230×gfor 15 min to extract cholesterol-depleted lard. To this lard were added2% of NaCl and a coloring agent (0.1% of KNO₃ and 0.01% of NaNO₂). Afterstorage at 4° C. for 3 days, the solidified lard was ground at 10° C. orlower. In a cold bowl, the lard was mixed with 20% of chilled water andcut at 10° C. for 10 min. This material was well mixed with spice,binders, seasonings, antioxidants, and edible colorants, and then with5% of corn starch. Mixing was conducted carefully for 10 min so that airdid not infiltrate. When the mixture started to be viscous, the mixingwas terminated. The resulting mixture was cased with Kureharon casingfilm, thermally treated at 63° C. for 30 min, and vacuum packed at 4° C.

Gas chromatography with 1 g of the sausage showed the removal ofcholesterol at a rate of 92.02%.

EXAMPLE 17 Mayonnaise

Brown eggs were separated into egg yolk and egg white, and the egg yolkwas passed through a 50 mesh sieve to remove the vitteline membrane andchalazae. The naked egg yolk was diluted in an equal volume of distilledwater, mixed with 10% of crosslinked β-CD at 20° C. for 10 min withstirring at 400 rpm, and centrifuged at 20° C. at 140×g for 10 min toremove the β-CD-cholesterol complexes. Using a blender, 140 g of thecholesterol-depleted egg yolk was mixed with small amounts of sugar andsalt and then with 800 ml of soybean oil and 35 ml of vinegar in analternating manner. After completion of the emulsification, blending wasconducted at a low speed to afford mayonnaise.

Gas chromatography with 1 g of the mayonnaise showed the removal ofcholesterol at a rate of 87.90%.

Treatment with the crosslinked β-CD prepared according to the presentinvention, as described hereinbefore, can remove cholesterol in maximalamounts of 93% from milk, 91% from cream, 93% from lard, and 95% fromegg yolk. In addition, the crosslinked β-CD trapping cholesterol thereincan be regenerated using an organic solvent according to the presentinvention, showing excellent cholesterol removal rates of 90% after the7^(th) round of regeneration and as high as 81% after the 10^(th) roundof regeneration in milk and cholesterol removal rates of 90% after the6^(th) round of regeneration and 83% even after the 10^(th) round ofregeneration in cream.

Therefore, the present invention provides an economically profitablecholesterol removal method because it prevents the environmentalpollution and cost increase attributed to the disposal of β-CD after asingle use.

Furthermore, the present invention can contribute to the health ofpeople by providing cholesterol-reduced food products, such as dairyproducts, meat products, egg products, etc.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have beendisclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art willappreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions arepossible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the inventionas disclosed in the accompanying claims.

1. A method for preparing crosslinked beta-cyclodextrin for cholesterol removal, comprising crosslinking beta-cyclodextrin in the presence of a crosslinking agent.
 2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the crosslinking agent is selected from a group consisting of adipic acid, phosphorous, oxychloride, sodium trimetaphosphate, and formaldehyde.
 3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the crosslinking step comprises: suspending beta-cyclodextrin in distilled water; adding the crosslinking agent to the suspension, followed by adjusting the suspension to pH 10 with an alkaline solution, subjecting the beta-cyclodextrin to a crosslinking reaction at room temperature for 16 hours, and readjusting the reaction to pH 5 with an acidic solution; and filtering off crosslinked beta-cyclodextrin, followed by washing with water and drying.
 4. A method for removing cholesterol from food, comprising treating the cholesterol-containing food with beta-cyclodextrin to trap cholesterol in the beta-cyclodextrin, and separating the beta-cyclodextrin-cholesterol complex.
 5. The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein the crosslinked beta-cyclodextrin is used in an amount from 0.5 to 30 wt % based on the total weight of the cholesterol-containing food.
 6. The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein the treating step is carried out by reacting the crosslinked beta-cyclodextrin with the cholesterol-containing food at 5-50° C. for 1-40 min with stirring at 50-1,600 rpm.
 7. The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein the cholesterol-containing food is selected from a group consisting of dairy products, meat products, and egg products.
 8. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the dairy products include milk, cream, butter, ice cream, yogurt and cheese products.
 9. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the meat products include lard, restructured ham and sausage products.
 10. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the egg products include poultry eggs, egg yolk, and mayonnaise products.
 11. A method for regenerating crosslinked beta-cyclodextrin, the crosslinked beta-cyclodextrin having cholesterol trapped therein, comprising collecting the crosslinked beta-cyclodextrin in an organic layer, separating the organic layer, and evaporating the organic layer to give the crosslinked beta-cyclodextrin.
 12. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the organic layer is formed of a mixture of acetic acid and isopropanol.
 13. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the collecting step is carried out by mixing an organic solvent with the beta-cyclodextrin at 40-60° C. for 1-3 hours with stirring at 50-150 rpm, and the separating step is carried out by cooling the mixture to room temperature to separate layers and extricating the supernatant. 